The People Who Claim That They Found Noah’s Ark

There’s some debate regarding whether or not, biblical stories are fact or fiction. Some would argue the stories are merely adaptations of what really happened, while others live their whole lives according to those teachings. No matter which you believe, it is fascinating, when someone stumbles upon a supposed artifact, such as Noah’s Ark.

The Story of Noah’s Ark

Most everyone has heard the story of Noah’s Ark. If not, it’s a story about how Noah’s Ark saved all the species of animals. Essentially, God had planned to flood the world, drowning the wicked. Noah and his family were warned and told to build the ark. Noah worked day and night to build a large boat, because he wanted to save his family. Moreover, he’d been tasked with saving a male and female from every animal species. After about a year of rain and floods, Noah sent a raven out to see if there was new life somewhere. However, after the raven never returned, he sent a dove. After some time, the dove returned with a twig from an olive tree.

The twig signified to Noah that the rains had stopped. Meaning the world was beginning to dry up and new life was growing. It would soon be safe to unload Noah’s ark, and a rainbow appeared in the sky to represent a promise from God to never flood the Earth that way again.

Numerous Expeditions

Over the years, Noah’s Ark has been a hot topic, allegedly discovered multiple times. It’s unknown how one man could have built a boat with dimensions big enough to house every species of animal x2. Furthermore, some would argue, he didn’t have the proper tools to do so, let alone accomplish this feat on his own. Yet, somehow, it’s inspired several expeditions, some resulting in claims of its discovery. It is believed that Noah’s Ark is somewhere on Mt. Ararat. The peak is large in size (16,940 feet) and located in Turkey. However, this claim is refuted.

In 1900, George Hagopian, the gentleman who claimed to discover Noah’s Ark, claimed, as a young boy he climbed to high areas of the mountain where the sheep grazed. There had been a 4-year drought, and the Ark had been uncovered from the lack of water and snow. Supposedly, he later revisited the Ark, and it was petrified wood.

No Evidence Backs Noah’s Ark Claims

In 1940, a magazine published a false interview claiming the discovery of Noah’s Ark. The publication turned out to be about a fictional Russian Lieutenant pilot by the name of Vladimir Roskovitsky. He supposedly found the Ark and explored its rooms. However, his documentation was lost as a result of the Russian revolution.

During the 1970’s, James Irwin, an astronaut, and eventual Christian convert conducted several expeditions to Mt. Ararat. He was in search of Noah’s Ark but never successfully discovered its whereabouts. Once again, in 1993, George Jammal told CBS he had come across the artifact. He later admitted to making up the story as a way to shed light on how little research the network put into to their findings.

Most Recent Possibilities

Finally, in 2021, a team of archaeologists allegedly discovered Noah’s Ark, using 3D scans. Researchers believed the scans layout matched that of the Bible’s description. Andrew Jones was a researcher on the project and said, “Such parallel line and right angles below the surface is something you would not expect to see in a natural, geologic formation.” He continued, “But these results are what you would expect to see if this is a man-made boat matching the Biblical requirements of Noah’s Ark.” However, Geologists speculate the finding was simply a large rock.

Artifacts Aside from Noah’s Ark

It might surprise you that Noah’s Ark isn’t the only biblical artifact scientists believe may never be uncovered. One, and likely the most well-known, is the Holy Grail. In a religious context, it is the cup from which Jesus drank during the Last Supper. The Ark of the Covenant is another, thought to house the two stone tablets containing the 10 Commandments. Researchers know next to nothing of what happened to the gold-plated wooden chest or its whereabouts.

Lastly is the place where Jesus was buried. In the same way, that Jesus vanished from his tomb and left his followers and opposers in a state of confusion, so will, it seems, the tomb’s location. Although many have claimed to uncover its whereabouts, the false discoveries have, so far, been disproven. Other examples of possible artifacts include those possible lost texts and “copper” scrolls, thought to be the most unusual of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

With so many artifacts, separating fact from fiction can be difficult. It’s no wonder historians, archaeologists, and other researchers have spent hours studying, searching for clues with little success. Will any of these ever be found?

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